I hesitate to author
this discussion, fearing the wrath of all who have described the David –
Goliath encounter for the past three millenniums. But, the more I consider
what I’m about to share, the more I think it is the correct interpretation,
though it, for many, might be deemed a minor blasphemy. No, it doesn’t
blaspheme the Lord, but it does destruct most preacher’s sermons dealing with
the topic. So, why share it? (BTW, I’m a zealous champion of the Bible
being inerrant.)

What I’m about to
explain is not about how the Bible might err. It’s about what I think really
happened, i.e., the facts behind the published account. For example, there are
those “Rocky” movies. Everyone of them is sort of a David and Goliath contest
in some form or fashion.

And, of course, the battered,
bruised, and bloodied, Rocky, despite the mismatch, always, like David, wins
the bout. While Rocky and David are alike, being heroes and winners who
persevere despite the odds, really the contests aren’t alike. On the field of
the Philistines, David, actually, would always have won, not so much because of
his faith and courage but because of his preparation and skill. If there’s a
lesson to be learned from this non-traditional interpretation, it’s that
failure will never be an option if there is a well-crafted backup plan leading
to success.

I was the Apollo 13
“failure” engineer. My job was to have just the kind of “thought-out-backup-plan”
that not only would slay the likes of a Goliath but be sure to do it every
time. However, I’ll only say, that when that calamity surfaced in route to
the Moon, there had to be a rescue vehicle with everything needed to overcome
any adversity.

So, what’s this got to
do with that giant Philistine? Now, as a NASA engineer, dealing with a
formidable enemy, I’m going to do what is called a “feasibility study.” We did
it all the time in planning the Moon landing. It’s simply considering all the
options to achieving the goal. Each must be evaluated through analysis or test.
Lastly, the most feasible approach is chosen. David, in NASA-like fashion,
did the same. He honed his slinging skill on, perhaps, discarded flasks of
water, until his accuracy could fell a threatening bear or a lion, protecting
his sheep. Certainly, a lion or bear was a more formidable adversary than an “uncircumcised”
Philistine. David, said as much. And to assure success, like NASA designers,
he had a back-up plan - four more projectiles if the first missed its target.
So based on my interpretation, I’ve drafted the following explanation of what I
think really happened that day, long ago.

Poor
Goliath

Victim
of Unfairness

I
really don’t think David needed to be so close to his opponent.

First of all, this is
not going to be a spiritual commentary. It will pass muster with any of the
American-Atheistic-Agnostic- ACLU-Church-and-State-Separatists and any other
group wary of spiritualizing the story for secular consumption. I’m actually
stating Goliath’s side of the story, sympathizing with him, showing him as the
victim, set-up by unfair circumstances. Yet, those Israelites and Philistines
on that biblical battlefield were ignorant of the cruel unfairness wrought upon
that one-story-tall giant. Perhaps, it is the greatest injustice ever
perpetrated on a warrior.

Actually, it was akin
to a duel of gentlemen defending their honor with one duelist unarmed.
Furthermore, the gentleman shepherd had not one but five lethal weapons.
Should the first shot be errant, four more would surely kill the foe. My
point is: David’s victory results less from faith than clever proactive
preparation. The event serves as a lesson for all who face Goliaths in
relationships, business, health, or any of life’s challenges.

Slinging is best done underhanded.

David’s firearm was a sling
which is defined as “a projectile weapon typically used to throw a blunt
projectile such as a stone.” At once, one thinks of a child slinging a small stone at
a target. Accuracy and “blunt force trauma” are discounted by such a harmless
device.

However, a modest web
search quickly dispels such an assessment. It is stated that a sling can toss
a projective as much as 1500 feet, but most remarkable is its velocity. That
pebble mass travels at a bullet-like 200 miles per hour with a stopping power
exceeding that of a .45 caliber handgun. Fine, indeed, but the crude device
seems altogether impossible to aim with any degree of accuracy. Again, it is
found that the sling can be quite accurate even used by a novice. Here is the
testimony of an amateur slinger:

(My first attempt at using one in practice amazed me when I
hit the target I was using. old milk jugs filled with water, at about 100 feet
away. The jugs filled up with water, have more resistance than any game you'd
be hunting, and let me tell you the sling doesn't just hit and bounce off, it
often bust the jugs to ruins in one blow, and has even penetrated right through
them. Just imagine what it could do to a skull or rib cage.)

Pretty awesome!

Based
on these facts, the Goliath/David contest takes an altogether different tact.
It‘s a contest of planning, practice, and preparation. While David’s five stones are often cited as reserved for Goliath
and his four brothers, might not those extra four be back-up ammunition should
the first slung stone have missed? I’d rather be a live “slinger” with
back-up throws than a horse-shoe-heaver counting on a “dead-ringer” on the
first throw. Somehow, I think David was proactive enough to want to be a
‘live-slinger” rather than a “dead-ringer”.

Goliath
might have been a giant of a man, but he was mouse-like in understanding what
an unfair battle he faced. Besides that small stone, David had another
advantage, Goliath’s “pea-sized” brain.

(Other
considerations: The above painting is an artist’s interpretation. Likely,
Goliath had no shield to deflect slung stones. Certainly, Goliath
would not have failed to protect his head with the shield, unless he was wholly
near-sighted. Eyeglasses were invented centuries later.

Other
thoughts are: a shield-bearing Goliath might have been surprised by an
approaching David slinging the fatal stone from a considerable distance. Or,
perhaps, David concealed his sling in his loin cloth, discharging the
projectile, like a fast-drawing Texas cowboy, before Goliath could raise
his massive shield in defense. The underhanded release would lend itself to
the quick-draw scenario with a trajectory slipping under the shield more
readily striking Goliath’s head. Additionally, David’s refusal to wear Saul’s
armor is likely because David wanted his slinging-arm unrestricted.)

The shield shown above
would certainly be cumbersome. An overconfident Goliath likely would not have
thought it needed. Too bad for you Goliath!

YouTube
videos depict various slinging techniques. Here is a link to one of them:

And below is
irrefutable proof of Goliath being a victim of unfairness, an actual
demonstration by a “rock-slinger” felling a life-sized Goliath target. Indeed,
felling Goliath was no more challenging for David, than a air rifle wielding boy
shooting a can off a fence, from 30 feet away. But then, B-B guns hadn’t yet
been invented, the sling was a boy’s weapon of choice.